First brisket injection

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First brisket injection

Postby Coach » Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:30 pm

I am going to try injecting my first brisket tomorrow. Any tips would be appreciated. (preferred mixing liquid, techniques, etc.) I'm using copycat. Thanks!
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby js-tx » Sat Feb 16, 2013 1:49 pm

First time out, I would just follow the directions and use water. After you mix up your injection, let it cool in the fridge so it can thicken up a little bit. It won't squirt back out at you as much! :laughing7:
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby Coach » Sat Feb 16, 2013 2:13 pm

Thanks for the tip about cooling in the fridge. Makes perfect sense. :D After injecting, how long do you let it sit before putting on the pit.
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby js-tx » Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:49 am

Usually around 6 hours. I injected one last night and put it on 3 hours later and it turned out fine.
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby Big Ed » Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:10 am

I like to mix mine in the magic bullet, turns out thick and airy!!
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby Coach » Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:49 am

Guys I've got a lot of practice to do. :dont: also I keep forgetting to snap pictures :violent:
I injected night before rubbed with salt pepper a little garlic. Brisket was pretrimmed select from HEB, 8lb. I've been practicing cooking hot lately keeping my temp close to 300. Wrapped in butcher paper at 1:30 with internal temp of 170. Pulled at 203 internal 5:30 and put in cooler until we ate at 6:45. I thought the flavor was good but different from non injections. My wife thought the texture was mushy and tasted less beefy. I was mainly disappointed that my flats are just not staying moist enough for competition level when I cook fast :banghead: . Tenderness is fine. Sorry I couldn't get my pictures to load, I will need to figure that out
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby js-tx » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:33 pm

It all starts with a good piece of meat. Look for a whole packer with a thick flat and noticeable marbling on the "lean side" of the brisket, don't let all that fat on top fool you. Choice or better helps but is no guarantee of a moist brisket.

What did you inject it with? Did the bark come out mushy or the whole thing? There are some people who swear by hot and fast and there are some that say HnF will cook all the moisture out of a brisket. I don't enough experience with HnF to take a side but I bet those that have figured it out have a certain method down pat. I'll let the HnF guys set the record straight! :wink:
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First brisket injection

Postby Swamp Donkeyz BBQ » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:53 pm

We cook HnF at every comp and at home. Never had mushy brisket unless we got distracted by the Colorado Kool Aid and over cooked it. Never had any issues with dryness either. I have heard that chlorinated water mixed in the injection can have negative side effect on the meat, such as discoloration. I'm not sure it would mess with texture. I use distilled water for injections just to err on the safe side.

JS is dead on the money about using good cuts of beef. But I have had a few select briskets turn out better than choice. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby bruno994 » Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:47 pm

Right on with Swamp Donkey, I have cooked a number of side by side comparisons with select and choice, with the select winning out more than once. Every brisket as a mind of it's own. As far as mixing the injection, I use Butchers BBQ brisket injection mixed with beef broth.
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby jtilk » Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:42 pm

Coach wrote:Guys I've got a lot of practice to do. :dont: also I keep forgetting to snap pictures :violent:
I injected night before rubbed with salt pepper a little garlic. Brisket was pretrimmed select from HEB, 8lb. I've been practicing cooking hot lately keeping my temp close to 300. Wrapped in butcher paper at 1:30 with internal temp of 170. Pulled at 203 internal 5:30 and put in cooler until we ate at 6:45. I thought the flavor was good but different from non injections. My wife thought the texture was mushy and tasted less beefy. I was mainly disappointed that my flats are just not staying moist enough for competition level when I cook fast :banghead: . Tenderness is fine. Sorry I couldn't get my pictures to load, I will need to figure that out



From what I have gathered from experience and asking around is A) every brisket will cook different ... B) if you lack "beefiness" its not from the injection. If anything I'd look at the grade of the cut and the expiration date. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to find that the closer a brisket is to it's expiration date the less effect an injection has on it. Maybe thats coincidence but I've had a select turn out spot on and a choice leaving more to be desired.
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby Coach » Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:39 pm

Thanks again for your experienced perspectives. This particular brisket was one that i had that has beenfrozen for awhile and one that I picked up before this website that I've learned alot from regarding picking a better brisket. I think I just left this one on a little long and didn't play it by feel and just went by the probe temp. I personally didn't find the meat too mushy, and the bark was still firm. I used cosmos by the way, and just mixed with water according to directions. I also think I need to continue to learn more about injecting technique. Josh I agree with your point A & B. And Swamp donkey I won't give up on HOF just need to keep practicing and not give up my night job and RV. :laughing7:
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Re: First brisket injection

Postby ButcherBBQ » Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:09 am

Coach wrote:Thanks again for your experienced perspectives. This particular brisket was one that i had that has beenfrozen for awhile and one that I picked up before this website that I've learned alot from regarding picking a better brisket. I think I just left this one on a little long and didn't play it by feel and just went by the probe temp. I personally didn't find the meat too mushy, and the bark was still firm. I used cosmos by the way, and just mixed with water according to directions. I also think I need to continue to learn more about injecting technique. Josh I agree with your point A & B. And Swamp donkey I won't give up on HOF just need to keep practicing and not give up my night job and RV. :laughing7:

I have a video on my home page of my web site explaining the basics of how to inject.
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